


Speak now or forever hold your peace

by Midori_MK



Series: Doropetra Week 2020 [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, F/F, Post-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23489446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midori_MK/pseuds/Midori_MK
Summary: Dorothea was finally going to secure her future. After so long, she was going to get married with someone she did not love, but was kind enough for a noble from a prestigious family of the Empire. However, she did not understand why she felt so empty despite finally achieving her goal. It got even worse when she remembered her moments with certain purple haired princess.Will the songstress get married, or will she realize it can be the biggest mistake of her life?
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary
Series: Doropetra Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683523
Kudos: 20
Collections: Doropetra Week 2020





	Speak now or forever hold your peace

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my fourth entry to Doropetra week. This time I wanted to explore a path in which Dorothea does not go to Brigid with Petra after the war ended, but in which they end up finding each other again. I hope you will like it!
> 
> I had this idea while thinking about the third prompt which I still need to finish. But I thought it was so nice that I wrote it down and did not finish the other piece I was working on. But I should be able to post it soon!

Dorothea was in the dressing room preparing for her marriage. After so long she finally was going to secure her future. The songstress had went through a lot in her childhood, being all alone in the streets of the Empire depending on the pity of others and her own wit to remain alive. She was saved by Manuela, that luckily found her singing on the streets of Enbarr and brought her to the Opera Company. Her mentor was surely a wonderful person, but the theatrical environment was not that welcoming. She became famous, but was envied by many of her peers and sought by many men, who were only interested in her looks, not on who she actually was.

After Manuela left the company, Dorothea started thinking about what would be of her future when she got older and would no longer be wanted in the opera, now that her mentor was no longer there to guide her. The brunette's decision to secure her future became somehow was a turning point in her life. After pulling some strings, she joined the Officers Academy with a clear goal in her mind: Find an acceptable noble and marry them. Even if she was not truly in love with that person, she would have a family name and guarantee a safe future. Being pulled in a seemingly endless war were not in her plans though.

Edelgard, the leader of the Black Eagles went against the powerful Church of Seiros and started a war that raged on for many years. Dorothea joined her in her efforts as she genuinely agreed with the now Emperor’s view after finding the truth about the Church and the Crest system. She did try to find someone during that time, but no one was really thinking about marriage amidst intense conflict.

The Emperor, guided by her former teacher Byleth and with the help of the Black Eagles Strike force won the war and Fodlan started gradually changing for the best. After the war, Dorothea was recognized as a War champion and many nobles sought her hand in marriage. All of them still had the old ways of nobility encrusted in their brains and none could even be considered a nice person. Even Sylvain asked her hand but she politely declined.

One day, she met someone that seemed to be nice enough. She had went back to the Opera after the war ended and there she met the father of that noble. He said that he had a son that was very polite that was curious to meet her in person. The songstress agreed to meet the man who was around her age. After some time he asked her hand in marriage and she accepted it. He did not seem to be interested in her and it seemed like he was trying to get married so that his father would not pester him about it anymore, but he was kind enough to be acceptable. She was engaged with him for 6 months and the day of her marriage finally arrived. Her future was finally safe after all she went through. However, she could not help but wonder why did she not feel happy and fulfilled as she thought she would be as she adjusted her hair in front of a big mirror displayed in the room.

A gentle knock in the door brought her back to reality. Her former teacher Byleth opened the door, wanting to check on her dear friend and verify if she needed anything.

“You look absolutely stunning, Dorothea.” Byleth fondly stated as the songstress turned around to face her. “I am sure your fiancée will be delighted to see you in that lovely dress.”

“Yes, he probably will.” Was the magician’s response, while she still had lingering thoughts about her own feelings.

“Do you really want to marry him?” Blunt as always, the former teacher inquired, concern evident in her words. Even though the war had ended and they did not talk to each other everyday, Byleth was still able to read her like an open book.

“It is not a matter of _wanting_ to, but _having_ to.” The songstress shortly replied as she went back to adjusting her hair, but the former mercenary was not pleased by her response.

“You do not need to, Dorothea. You have people that care about you that would never leave you alone. Besides that, you deserve someone that deeply cares about you and sees you as an equal. Not someone that will leave you alone with his family while they take care of the Empire’s iron supply.”

“I am sorry my teacher, but I have already made up my mind to get married with him.”

“You have thought well about this. Have you not? If that is what you want, I will not object. No matter the path you chose, I wish you happiness.” With that, the former mercenary excused herself and left the room.

Byleth’s words stung, but the magician had already decided not to go back on her decision anymore. From what she knew, love has always been sold as something wonderful, but the happily ever after only happened for princesses from Fairy Tale books. Speaking of princesses, she could not help but think about Petra. She was no longer a princess, as she had been crowned Queen of Brigid after the war ended. If Dorothea had to confess, she did feel something that fits in what her teacher called love for her dear friend.

Just like her, Petra faced many hardships in her life and even though she was a princess, she treated everyone equally and respectfully. Throughout the years, they got closer and helped each other during the long war against Rhea. Before their last battle against the immaculate one, the princess invited her to go to Brigid with her after the war ended. Dorothea was genuinely happy, even more so when Petra told her she was precious to her. That filled the songstress' heart with warmth she had never felt before and made her fall even more for the purple haired woman.

Dorothea knew that Petra was just being kind as she had always been, but she was looking forward to going to Brigid with her. Unfortunately, the princess had to return to the archipelago without the brunette as she was urgently summoned by her grandfather. Brigid had been split between people that supported Edelgard’s cause and people that fled from the Church and tried to put the island in an inner turmoil and use it as a base even after Rhea’s defeat.

The songstress wanted to help Petra, but those that slithered in the dark also posed a threat to the Empire. Due to that, she was summoned by Edelgard to fight for her one last time. The two of them ended up following different paths after all fighting was over. Petra was surely too busy taking care of Brigid to respond the letters Dorothea sent her. She did send her an invitation to her marriage as the younger woman was still dear to her, but the magician feared what would be her reaction upon seeing the now Queen of Brigid.

* * *

Dorothea was now in front of the Church waiting to get inside the building where she would profess her wedding vows. She joined arms with Manuela, who would walk the isle with her. The songstrees would not get inside the Church if not guided by her mentor, who was like a motherly figure to her.

“My dear, you look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you, Manuela. Shall we?”

“Yes, of course. But only if you promise to still talk with me after getting married.”

“You can count on that.”

The small exchange with her dear friend put a smile on her face, but she got tense again after getting inside the Church. Of course Fodlan was no longer under their influence, but the religious beliefs still played an important role in society. The place was fully adorned with flowers and filled with people Dorothea had never seen in her life before, except for the members of the Black Eagles Strike force. They were sitting in the front row with the Exception of Edelgard that was the maid of honor. Every member was there, except for her. Petra was nowhere to be seen.

The magician had mixed feelings, part of her was relieved, but the other part was sad that Petra did not come to see her. She now held the hands of the groom, feeling emptiness. Maybe her former teacher was right, but now was no time to look back. Dorothea would see it through. The time for her vows has arrived.

“I vow to make my life forever yours become your strenght. I vow to be a devoted wife, filling your days with - ”

“I can not be allowing that.”

She was abruptly interrupted by a familiar voice that she knew so well. Dorothea was baffled. Petra, the Queen of Brigid just interrupted her marriage out of nowhere with determination in her eyes just as if she was going into the battlefield. The whole audience diverted their attention from the solemn ceremony to her.

“You can not be marrying someone you do not love, Dorothea. You deserve to be having happiness and your eyes tell me you have much sadness. I am not sure if you will be accepting my feelings, but you are the most important person in the world to me. You set my heart aflame like the sun and illuminate my days as the moon shines over the sea. I am wanting to be spending my life with you.”

Every ounce of confidence the songstress had to keep going on with her marriage had been reduced to pieces. The only person that she had ever truly held feelings for was now in front of her trying to stop her marriage with a heartfelt confession. She was about to get closer to the purple haired woman. Dorothea had been trying to follow her reason for too long, she would follow her heart now as it felt right. Nevertheless, the father of the man she was about to get married to was not willing to allow that.

“What is the meaning of that nonsense! My son is about to get married and there is nothing you can do to stop that. Get out of this place right now and go back to your little island!” The man was furious as he pointed his finger’s against Petra’s face.

He did not expect that it would flip a switch on Dorothea and resulted in the songstress throwing her bouquet of flowers against his face.

“Who do you think you are to speak to her like that? She is a dear friend and the Queen of Brigid! You should treat her with due respect.”

This angered the noble even further. “Why are you defending her! You should be getting married and not siding with that woman!”

“That is because I… I… I love her too. I never had feelings for your son and he probably never had for me as well.” Most the audience was utterly shocked with the statement, but the Black Eagles Strike force was cheering loudly with Ferdinand, Caspar and Byleth leading the cheers.

The old man tried to refute her again, but was stopped by his own son that was surprisingly calm with everything that was going on. “Go on Dorothea, seek your own happiness. I just wanted to shut this old man up anyway.”

Still not satisfied with all that was going on, he tried to land a magic hit against Petra, but this time he was stopped by the Emperor herself. “I think the involved parties already had their say in this matter. Is there anything else you would like to include, or should I ask you to be detained for a plethora of crimes you almost perpetrated?”

The man was left speechless, as Edelgard approached Petra and Dorothea. “Looks like our plan was successful Petra. What are you waiting for to complete its last stage?”

“Plan? Eddie what are you talking about-” The songstress was cut by Petra, who swept her out of her feet and held the brunette in her strong arms.

“I will be explaining all to you, my dearest. But there is something I must be doing before.” The huntress said, as she hurriedly carried Dorothea and ran from the Church. She was a bit confused with all that was going on, but decided to trust Petra and to indulge in the moment. The songstress could not believe that within minutes, she abandoned her so wished safe future for a bright future besides the one she truly loved. She had to admit that Byleth had been correct about love. 

* * *

Petra’s destination was a harbor that was close to the Church, more specifically under a bridge where the sea and the sun could be seen and no one would disturb them. It took only a few minutes to get there. The sun was setting in a very beautiful scene, as if the nature wanted to bestow that sight upon the newly found lovers. The Queen put Dorothea on the ground as she looked at her apologetically

“I must be apologizing, Dorothea. I received all of your letters and replied to all with diligence. However, one of my advisors never sent it back to you. It must have seemed like I was not caring about you, when it was the opposite.”

Now everything made sense. Petra was not a heartless person to leave her friends just because she became Queen. Dorothea wanted to tell her that there was nothing to apologize for, but the purple haired woman continued.

“When I saw your marriage invitation I was having much sadness and sent a letter to Edelgard. I did not understand why you would not be responding to me but send me the invitation. I was informed that you were to get married with a noble you were not in love with and it made my heart break in my chest even more. With much frustration, I shared my feelings with Edelgard that helped me to come up with this plan. She told me that if there was someone that would be having likeliness to be stopping you, it would be me.”

“Petra I do not even know how to respond to all of that… I should be the one apologizing and not you. All this time we held feelings for each other but I was dumb enough to believe that you did not care about me anymore.”

“It is not being your fault, Dorothea. My advisor was not seeing- did not see our closeness with good eyes but I found out his plan before embarking to Flodan. I had dismissed him from his services to Brigid and he shall never again get near my castle. But that is being enough of talking about our pasts. Allow me to be talking about our futures.”

Petra took Dorothea’s hands in hers gently caressing them while she got closer to the songstress. “All I said in the Church is being true, my dearest. I am not sure if you are remembering when I invited you to Brigid while we still were at war, but my feelings remain unchanged. I want you to be coming to my homeland with me and to spend my days with you, under the blessings of the Brigid Spirits. Will you be accepting it?”

“Of course, Petra, I would love to. I have never been so certain about something in my whole life. None of the songs I have sung would be able to express how much I want to be with you, to support you and… to love you.”

With this, Petra closed the gap between them as they experienced the first of many kisses they would share with each other throughout their days together.

Dorothea had always thought that Fairy Tales were written to make girls dream of an ideal love that would never become true. However, she ended up part of one as her story with the Brigid Queen who swept her out of her feet and took her away from an unhappy married life were passed down across the Empire and in Brigid alike. Against all the odds of their childhoods and upbringing, both became war heroes and feel in love with each other, leading Brigid to become one of the most prosperous and fairest lands that has ever existed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! It was nice writing this one and I hope you all enjoyed it! I will now keep working on the other prompts. 
> 
> If you are wondering the prompt used was "You have thought about this. Have you not" from day 5, but once again I only used this sentence one time. Day 3 prompt is almost done and I plan on finishing the prompt for day 6 tomorrow.
> 
> Please consider leaving a kudo or a comment if you liked this fic as I would love to hear your thoughts. Feedbacks and critiques are highly appreaciated. In case you want to talk with me you can find me on twitter as @km_midori :)


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